less by design
Thought for Food global challenge
By Joe La Delfa.
Thought for Food (TTF) is a community dedicated to solving the problems arising from the impending population boom both in developing and developed countries. They have partnered with Syngenta, a large Swiss agribusiness and a host of food security think tanks and social entrepreneur networks to host the annual TFF Global Summit.
Cardboard Furniture; Brilliant yet Terrible
by Joe La Delfa.
Cardboard furniture isn’t great for what it is, but for what it replaces.
Browsing through search results for cardboard furniture yields nothing but praise. Design magazines, blogs and of course, cardboard furniture websites are feverishly throwing buzzwords at the screen, creating not so much a coherent paragraph but a fuzzy cloud of optimism.
Don’t worry, it’s ‘recyclable’ – How the word now means as much as low fat and free range.
By Joe La Delfa.
Once a beacon of environmental nobility in the ’80s, ‘recyclable’ has now become a label used to promote guilt free consumption. It’s an idea that helps the consumer avoid the speedbump of feeling guilty in between filling up their carts and being asked, “is pay wave ok?”
Spiritree – giving life after death
By Lorrin Windahl.
Death is a pretty morbid topic, one people often shy away from. But it is also the only certainty in life. We all die. Hopefully not until the very distant future though. And with the increasing size of our aging population, plots in cemeteries are going to come at a premium. But is it that sustainable to take up such a useful piece of land with my mortal remains? I’m more for the whole burning thing. No use taking up space. But what do my loved ones do with my ashes after that? I certainly don’t want to sit on the mantelpiece until someone accidentally tips me all over the carpet. So I think I’d prefer to be placed in the Spiritree, a plantable urn that breaks down naturally as the tree planted inside grows.
The ASRC Food Justice Truck
By Lorrin Windahl.
It has been very rewarding to have been involved in such a worthy and life improving project as the Food Justice Truck (FJT) – a collaboration with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC). It’s not often that an opportunity comes along when you can apply your design skills and experience to such a meaningful and sustainable project such as this. The truck is now officially travelling the streets of Melbourne to provide the community and asylum seekers (at a 75% discount) with locally produced fresh food.
Link Festival Wrap Up 2015
By Joe La Delfa.
Link Festival congregates people who have a passion for using design and technology to create positive social change. The focus this year was as much on global problems as it was on local problems.
Is bamboo all it’s cracked up to be?
By Lorrin Windahl.
It’s true that bamboo is a highly sustainable material which has increased in popularity recently for this very reason. It is seen as a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic, metal and even timber. But is it as green as everyone claims? Well it is, but a dramatic increase in demand has had some negative effects on its eco-credentials.
Sustainable, unobtainable – is it just too hard?
By Lorrin Windahl.
Sustainability is a minefield of myths and misconceptions. It is a complex world of factors that change from project to project, product to product. Each product is unique in its make-up and impact on the environment. No two products are the same when it comes to their manufacture, usage and end of life. Therefore, the same thinking can not be applied to every project. This is the bane of the sustainable designer’s existence.
Ghost Food: dishing up a taste of our future
By Joe La Delfa.
In my favourite scene of Ratatouille, an anxious waiter tentatively asks Anton Ego, a food critic as equally feared as he is renowned, if he was ready to order. Anton sharply replied, “You know what I’m craving? A little, perspective. That’s it! I’d like some fresh, clear, well-seasoned, perspective.” The waiter was understandably confused, how can your food deliver an underlying value when it is generally taken on face value?
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